Office Overhaul – ‘Hubby’ Zone & ‘Shared’ Zone

February 2, 2011

I promised to share some after photos of the office overhaul, but still haven’t found a piece of artwork for over my desk. So I’ve decided to leave ‘my’ zone for another post, and show you what’s been done to the rest of the office.

Do you remember this ‘before‘ shot? Yes? ‘Yikes’!

The bookcase wasn’t really that functional as the shelves are not quite 10 inches deep, making standard storage cumbersome. See the package of white paper on the middle shelf? It had to be turned sideways to fit. My hubby and I decided the bookcase could go. And we won’t even get into the other ‘extras’ you see here!

And in this ‘before‘…

…the paper sorter on top of the filing cabinets was one of the first things you saw when entering the office – if your eye made it that far! The hanging file trolly sitting under the ‘L’ of my desk is placed the wrong way, protruding awkwardly into the space around it! And my tools, well the toolbox became yet another surface to ‘drop’ things on 🙁

Here’s the bookcase area now… it’s been set up with visually appealing storage in assorted sizes, though the large basket is subject to change. But for now it’s concealing recycled binders.

The trolly is actually more easily accessible from this spot too. My tools are what they are, necessary to get the job done, but at least they hide behind the trolly now!

And now you only see the ends of the sorter and trolly when entering the office.

Here’s a close-up of the clock – I found it at Home Sense and couldn’t resist. It fit the look and theme taking shape, and I loved the take–double-take of the number placement… kind of like M.C. Escher in motion! I’m not convinced the clock will remain on the shelf, but I like it here for now.

The natural light coming into this office is really good as there is also a skylight (wish we could lose the fluorescent lights). I tried not to block the light coming in the windows, so I’m still deciding whether or not I want to mount window treatments of some kind. What do you think? I’d love to hear your suggestions. Here’s a look at the 3 windows – a ‘before’, but just to give you the perspective…

And for ‘hubby’ zone, here’s a close-up ‘before‘ view… you can also see it in the 2nd ‘before‘ photo above.

In general what made this office so dysfunctional was the lack of vertical storage. The floor space was filled to capacity, yet the walls were bare and underutilized. The only way to solve this was to go up! Well, and to declutter, but I’d prefer to call that ‘editing’…

Here is what ‘going up’ looks like now…

We moved the small printer off the desk and over to the paper sorter’s old location. Believe it or not, the books on these shelves were once jammed tightly onto the shelves of the old bookcase. Now everything can breathe! I’m still on the search for fun accessories, but I’m trying not to force the process!

There are a few things that have limited how much I could do with the overhaul, the main one being that this is a rental home for us… for now. But the other is the set of desks. My Dad originally built the desk as an ‘L’ unit for me quite a few years ago. My husband and I have since turned the unit into 2 desks, have added a smaller ‘L’ to my desk, and added another filing cabinet to the mix. The configuration of the office – 2 doors to work around, windows to keep free and clear, 2 baseboard heaters to factor in, access to the attic – made furniture placement a challenge. And since this is an office for 2 of us, the overall flow and function had to meet both sets of needs.

Here is another look at the overall ‘overhaul’…

I promise, there will be another post to show you what I’ve done with ‘my’ zone… but I’m really trying to hold out for that perfect piece of artwork to complete the space. A splash of colour, something inspirational, and just the right size! Colour… definitely something with a bit of colour, and something that will complement the current artwork.

I hope you’ll leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think, especially your ideas and suggestions 🙂

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Comments

The ‘Hubby’ zone looks awesome in these photos! I love working in here. It is fantastic to be in a space that feels like you can breathe. It makes work even harder to keep ‘my’ zone in the space looking good and free of clutter.

GREAT job! I can see the hours of work that went into this. You get bonus points for actually sharing your space with your husband. Not everyone can do that! Your posts are always entertaining and informative. Keep ’em coming!

Sheila, absolutely fabulous !! I really like the finished look. I have similar issues with my office. I have completed one overhaul and declutter recently using your notion of going up; which I learned from you in the past. As I move into my new businesses,you are on my call list to set up a session to revitalize and functionalize my office space. I look forward to seeing your finished space ! Beautiful job. Having well designed work space can make your tasks much more pleasant and efficient.
Cheers, Alicia

Thank you Alicia! I’m looking forward to working in the office now with ‘a place for everything, and everything in its place’. You are so right about efficiency and tasks being more pleasant – it makes all the difference…

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I'm Sheila, a decorating enthusiast with a focus on making over, fixing up, and using what you have. Here you'll find a collection of DIY projects from thrifted to the odd roadside find. You'll also find me keeping up with Audrey Would!, my online vintage boutique specializing in classic Mid-Century and Art Deco cocktail ware and entertainment pieces.
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